AUBURN — Councilors will try to get control over the myriad issues they need to deal with next week, tackling them in smaller committees before going to the full council.
“If a new concept comes up, it goes right to the full council right now, without a lot of vetting,” Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said. “We tackle it as a committee of the whole right now, in front of the full council for every iteration. The goal now is to get full public input on an issue before it comes to the council for a decision. The goal is to get more done — and done more efficiently.”
Three councilors will sit on the individual committees alongside city staff, each dedicated to a broad category of local government service.
For example, the Community and Economic Development Committee will tackle issues from the Economic & Community Development Department, planning and code enforcement issues and the community development and federal block grant funded tasks. That group meets for the first time Tuesday night.
The Transportation and Environmental Committee will tackle issues revolving around the Public Services Department — road maintenance and plowing, solid waste, city facilities and parks and buses. That group’s first meeting is set for Wednesday night.
Other committees include Finance and City Administration and Public Safety and Community Services.
The idea grew out of the previous council’s efforts get more control over city issues, but members of the current council settled on the new scheme this year.
“We know we won’t be able to have a committee for each department and each issue,” LaBonte said. “We decided to have each committee address a spectrum of issues.”
LaBonte said the number of councilors on each committee was picked because it triggers state public meeting rules but falls short of a City Council four-vote majority.
“We will work like this through the summer, and then come back in September and see what we’ve learned,” LaBonte said. “There may be some shuffling of the deck when we are through. We may place some items under other committees going forward.”
All of the meetings will have agendas published two days before the meeting, City Clerk Sue Clements Dallaire said.
Auburn City Council Committees
Community and Economic Development
Members are Councilors Jim Pross, Bob Stone and Grady Burns. First meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, in Auburn Hall, Room 204.
Transportation and Environment
Members are Councilors Ernestine Gilbert, Leroy Walker Jr. and David Young. First meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, in the City Council Chamber on the second floor of Auburn Hall.
Finance and Administration
Members are Councilors Bob Stone, Andy Titus and Ernestine Gilbert. First meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, in the City Council Chamber on the second floor of Auburn Hall.
Public Safety and Community Services
Members are Councilors Andy Titus, Leroy Walker Jr. and David Young. First meeting is at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in the Community Room on the second floor of Auburn Hall.
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